Ship-steering apparatus



(NoModel.)

C. J. BOUSFIELD.

SHIP STEERING APPARATUS. No. 441,638. Patented Dec. 2, 1890.l

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

CHARLIE J. BOUSFIELD, OF BAY CITY, MICHIGAN.

SHIP STEERING.APPARATUS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 441,638, dated December2, 1890.

Application led May 31, 1890. Serial No. 353,694. No model.)

kTo a/ZZ whom it may concern;

Be it known that I, CHARLIE J. BoUsFIELD, a citizen of the UnitedStates, residing at Bay City, in the coun ty of Bay and State ofMichigan, have invented certain new and useful Improvements inShip-Steering Apparatus; and I do declarev the following to be a full,clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enableothers skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use thesame, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, and to theletters of reference marked thereon, which form a part of thisspecification.

My invention relates to improvements in that class of ship-steeringapparatus in which gear-wheels and chains are used as a medium fortransmitting movement to the tiller fromthe steering-wheel; and theinvention consists in the novel arrangement and construction of theparts, as I shall hereinafter fully describe, and which will bespecifically set forth in the claims of this specification.

The object of the invention is to provide a cheap, compact, andeffective apparatus for steering vessels, whereby the rudder may beeasily and quickly operated, and whereby sufficient leverage is obtainedto easily retain the rudder in a desired position against the force ofthe waves thereon.

Another object of the invention is to provide a ship-steering apparatuswhich is compact in form and easily operated, and which may be easilyand ,quickly locked in place, whereby the tiller and rudder may beeasily retained in position when desired.

In the accompanying drawings my invention will be found illustrated, andwith the same letters of reference indicating similar parts in theseveral views.

Fig. l is a plan view of a, vessel with my novel device attachedthereto. Fig. 2 is a side view in elevation of my improved steeringapparatus. Fig. 3 is a front view of the same, partly sectional. Figdisaview in elevation of the after side of the steering apparatus, with aportion of the parts cut off. Fig. 5 is a horizontal section of theframe, and showing top or plan view of the locking devices and steeringmechanism.

a represents the deck of a vessel, b is the rudder, and c is the tillerarranged in the ordinary way.

d and e are bed-pieces which rest upon and are rigidly secured tostationary supports, preferably the deck of the vessel, with a properspace between, and fand g are forward and aft vertical standards securedby their lower ends to the bed-pieces, and with their upper ends heldagainst a lateral Inovement by the braces h and c', while the upper endsare held in position in relation to each other by a cross-piece j.Journaled in the upper portion of the standards is a shaft l, and aYpinion m is mounted on the shaft between the standards, while upon theend of the shaft which projects outside of the after standard is mounteda steering-wheel n, having spokes o projecting outwardly from itsperiphery in the usual manner. i

p is a shaft journaled in the standards below the shaft Z, and upon thisshaft and between the standards is mounted a wheel q, provided on theupper portion of its periphery with a segment of gear fr, the teeth ofwhich intermesh with the teeth of the pinion m, and the lower orremaining portion of the periphery of the wheel is provided with groovess and t, in which rest the tiller chains or ropes u and o, respectively,the ends a and b of the ropes being passed through openings c in the rimd of the wheel and secured in position by threaded hooks or eyebolts e',which are passed through the rim d', and with their hooked ends f caughtover the ends of the tiller ropes or chains and drawn tightly thereon bythe nuts 7c, which are passed over their outer'threaded ends.

The tiller-ropes are carried over suitable guide-pulleys g and h', andhave their opposite ends secured to the tiller c, so that on turning thetiller-wheel rotary motion is imparted to the wheel q in the oppositedirection, winding one of the tiller-chains thereon, while the 'oppositechain is unwound therefrom, which operates to move the tillercorrespondingly in the proper direction for swinging the rudder in thedirection in which the wheel is turned.

It is often desirable to secure the rudder in IOO a stationary position,and to accomplish this a shattt" is j ournaled to the vertical standardsj' and g above the pinion m, and on the central portion of the shaft isrigidly mounted a pawlj, with its free end Zt" turned to engage with theteeth of the pinion m to prevent its turning in either direction, and onthe after end of the shaft, which projects beyond the standard, isrigidly secured a cross-bar Z by 1o its middle, while the outer oppositeends of the cross-bar are provided with handles fm',

and to the lowerportion of the standard is pivotally secured by itsmiddle a foot lever or treadle n', provided at its opposite ends withbearings o :for the feet, and p are vertical rods with their lower endspivotally secured to the end portions of the treadle,whi1e their upperends are pvoted to the end portions of the bar Z', so that either thebaror the treadle zo may be oscillated, and a corresponding motion Willbe imparted by the rods to the other,

and a spring o" is secured by one end portion to the upper cross-piecej, or to some other convenient portion of the supporting-frame,

and the outer free end of the spring is bent at s' in such form as tobear uponand retain the pawl in engagement with the teeth of the pinion,or to retain the pawl in position when raised from the teeth.

lVhen it is desirable to secure the rudder in a fixed position, the pawlis thrown into engagement with the pinion by oscillating the bar Z bythe hand or by operating the t-readle n with the foot, as described,bearing down- 3 5 Wardly on one end of the treadle or bar serving tooscillate the paWl in one direction, While bearing upon the opposite endof the bar or treadle oscillates the pawl in the opposite direction.

It Will be noticed that by placing the parts in the position shown acompact and easily operated steering apparatus is provided, which can beadapted to small boats or to vessels of larger dimensions, as theleverage obtained by operating the pinion with the segment upon theperiphery of the Wheel q is sufficient to permit the tiller to beoperated With ease and to retain the tiller in position against theaction of waves and strong 5o currents upon the rudder.

Of course it will be understood that while the Wheel q is shown with thegear-segment extending only over the upper arc of its periphery and Withthe grooves s andt occupying the remaining portion of its peripheralsurface, this construction is not altogether necessary, as under somecircumstances it would be desirable to provide for a greater leverage byadditional sheaves, pulleys, or

6o other suitable contrivances, and the Wheel q could in that case beprovided with teeth entirely around its periphery, and by Widening theperipheral surface the tiller-ropes could then be carried entirelyaround the Wheel 6 5 and the action of the parts would be thc same.

It will also be noticed that the lowenportion ofthe periphery of thewheel q, located in a proper position to permit the tiller-ropes to runfrom the side sheaves across the deck and directly upon the wheel, sothat sheaves to turn the ropes upon the winding drum, as are required incommon forms of steering devices, are rendered unnecessary and theabrupt bending` of the chains or ropes at this point is avoided, so thata smooth and easy movement of the chains is obtained and the expense ofthe apparatus is reduced.

Having described my improvement, What I claim as my invention isl. Thecombination, in a steering apparatus, of the frame, the shaft Z,journaled on the frame and carrying the pinion m, and thc steering-wheeln, the shaft p, journaled on the frame beloiv the shaft Z, the wheel q,mounted on the shaft p and provided on the upper portion of itsperiphery with the segment of gear r, having its teeth interni eshingwith the pinion m, and provided on the lower portion of its peripherywith the grooves s and t and having radial openings c on opposite sides,the tiller-ropes u and o, resting in the said grooves and With theirends passed through the said openings c and with their opposite endssecured to opposite sides of the tiller, and the bolts e', passedthrough the rim of the wheel and provided on their inner ends with hooksf caught over the ends of the tiller-ropes and With the nuts Zr; ontheir outer threaded ends, substantially as set forth.

2; In a ship-steering apparatus, the combination, with the frame, theshaft fi', journaled on the upper portion of the frame and carrying thepinion fm, and steering-wheel 'inthe shaft p, journaled on the framebelow the shaft Z and carrying the Wheel q, provided with a segment ofgear ron its upper portion and engaging with the pinion on, thetillerropes u and c, secured by one end to the tiller and with theiropposite ends passed from opposite sides beneath and secured to theperiphery of the Wheel near the ends of the segment, of the shaft fZ,journaled upon the frame above the shaft Zand carryinga pawl j', havingits free end engaging with the teeth of the pinion, a cross-bar Z',rigidly secured to the shaft, and a spring for retaining the pawl inposition When engaged with or disengaged from the pinion, substantiallyas set forth.

3. In a ship-steering apparatus, the combination of the frame, the shaftZ, journaled on` the upper portion of the frame and carrying the pinionm and steering-Wheel n, the shaft p, journaled on the frame below7 theshat'tZ and carrying the wheel q, having on the upper portion of itsperiphery a segment of gear r, engaging with the pinion m, the ropes uand o, with their ends secured to the tiller and with their oppositeends passed from opposite sides beneath and secured to the oppositesides of the periphery of the wheel with IOO IIO

the shaft i', journaled upon the frame above opposite ends pivoted tothe cross-bar Z', subthe shaft Z and carrying the paw] jhavingstantially as set forth. 1o its free end engaging with 'the teeth of theIn testimony whereof I afxmysignature in pinion, a cross-bar l', rigidlysecured to the presence of two Witnesses.

5 outer end of the shaft, a treadle n', pivoted CHARLIE J. BOUSFIELD.

to the lower portion of the frame, and the rods Witnesses: p', withtheir lower ends pivoted to the treadle J AS. E. THOMAS,

on opposite sides of its pivot and with their G. P. THOMAS.

